OAKLAND — A mural at the Hintil Kuu Ca childhood development center depicts an eagle, Mother Earth and a boy. The boy is wearing typical teenage attire, but another image — of an American Indian on horseback — hovers over his chest.

“He’s an urban Indian, but in his heart and his soul is an Indian on the Trail of Tears,” explained Shirley Guevara, a teacher.

Almost 40 years ago, a group of Native American mothers founded Hintil Kuu Ca, which means “The Indian children’s place,” to help their young children succeed in a strange, new urban environment. Many of them had recently moved to Oakland with their families from reservations and were caught between worlds. Some children were dropping out of elementary school, said Agnes Tso, who has taught at Hintil since 1981.

“The parents started the school because they were really concerned about their kids not having a place,” she said. “I think they were just lost.”

Hintil now serves mostly non-Native American children; about 15 of its 90 preschool and school-age students are American Indian. Guevara asserts that the center is an important resource for the community, and that it’s the only urban childhood development center in California with an American Indian cultural focus.

Because of Hintil’s unique history and mission, parents and teachers were stunned when it appeared on the Oakland school district’s preschool closure list, along with six others — Golden Gate, Jefferson, Manzanita, Piedmont Avenue, Santa Fe and Sequoia. In May, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating the state’s all-day preschool program to help balance the budget; Oakland school officials said they had no choice but to plan for the worst.

Troy Flint, a district spokesman, said the district is considering several measures to keep Hintil and other centers running until the state budget is resolved. One possibility, he said, is for outside organizations to run the centers for several weeks or months, absorbing the staffing costs.

Meanwhile, teachers, parents and Native American leaders are searching for grants and asking Indian casinos for help, Guevara said. Some have suggested running the center as a parent cooperative — much as it started in the early 1970s.

Guevara’s layoff notice came in the mail, she said, but she’s not turning in her keys at the end of the month. “I am coming Aug. 2,” she said. “I’m coming and opening the doors for people who want to bring their kids.”

Katy Murphy is based in Sacramento and covers state government for The Mercury News and East Bay Times, a beat she took on in January 2017. Before that, she was the news organization's higher education reporter, writing about UC, CSU, community colleges and private colleges. Long ago, she covered Oakland schools and other K-12 education issues.

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